MANHATTAN — A man was punched in the face in the West 4th Street subway station by an attacker who first asked if he was gay, police said.
The 39-year-old victim was standing with his partner on the station's platform about 12:30 a.m. Sunday when the suspect started pestering them and asked if they were gay, the NYPD said.
The couple initially ignored the suspect, but then the man made a derogatory comment and punched the 39-year-old so hard that he fell to the ground, police said.
The victim was treated at Lenox Hill Hospital for a broken nose and fractured orbital bone, which encases the eye, police said.
The suspect, who fled the station afterward, is described as being in his late 20s, standing 5-foot-8 and weighing 170 pounds, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS (8477).
